Alabama

Bentley targets Airbus suppliers during Germany trip

"We're so excited that Airbus is coming. Now we want the suppliers to come to Alabama also," Bentley said.

An Airbus A320 plant, like this one in Toulouse, France, is headed to Mobile. (Airbus)

MONTGOMERY -- Alabama -- Gov. Robert
Bentley and a delegation from the state leave Sunday for a four-day industry
hunting trip to Germany with an eye on getting Airbus suppliers to locate in Alabama.

Bentley, Secretary
of Commerce Greg Canfield and a delegation from Mobile will attend the Aviation Forum in Hamburg.

"We're so excited that Airbus is coming. Now we want the suppliers
to come to Alabama also," Bentley said.

"I'm going to spend about four days
in Germany talking to that group and trying to encourage them to come to Alabama," Bentley
said.

Airbus announced this summer that it would construct a $600 million, 1,000-worker aircraft
assembly plant in Mobile, giving the European company its first production site
on U.S. soil. Alabama put together an incentive package of more than $150 million in
cash, tax breaks and other incentives to help lure the project.

Canfield said the state has already
been in talks with some of the supplier companies.

The Alabama group is also set to meet with Airbus executives during the trip, and Bentley is scheduled
to give a speech while there.

Administration officials have said
they hope the Airbus project can be transformational for the state's economy in the same
way that landing a Mercedes-Benz assembly operation helped turn Alabama into a hub for automobile manufacturing.

"The trip is not only about Airbus,
but it's our continuing effort to grow the aerospace footprint in Alabama," Canfield
said.